Let’s face it: No one wants to lug around a four- or five-pound weight all day. And no one wants to sacrifice function for form.
CES 2025, which wrapped up on Friday, marked the first year I found more laptops than ever that hit this Holy Grail metric — and they did so without making the sacrifices often considered necessary to achieve a light form factor. That’s an exciting prospect, and not just because it can save our collective backs.
I saw many three-pound laptop models in person and saw announcements for others. Why did I zero in on laptops under three pounds? Laptop weight doesn’t matter if you plan to keep your system parked on a desk, as is often the case with a gaming laptop (typical weight: 5.5 pounds and up).
But if you’re like me and take your laptop everywhere, weight matters — a lot. I’m using three pounds as the cut-off here because laptops that are heavier than that can feel their weight fast when in a valise or backpack.
This year's laptop crop stood out for its impressive designs, excellent array of ports, and leading specs (brilliant displays, AI support, tons of storage).
While some models had high price tags, others were under $1,000. That means we, as consumers, have to make fewer usability trade-offs in exchange for a lighter load.
The following list marks my 5 favorite sub-3-pound laptops I saw at CES 2025. Note that this is not an exhaustive list of the sub-3-pound class of 2025; Lenovo alone introduced 6 models under 3 pounds (the lightest being the 2.17-pound ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition), while Asus, Acer, and LG all had multiple models under 3 pounds, too. But these were the ones that stood out and were some of my favorites.
Acer Swift Go 14 AI
The Acer Swift Go 14 AI (SFG14-64/T) sneaks onto the list, weighing in at 2.86 pounds (OLED version). What stands out here is Acer’s attention to detail and value for the price.
This Copilot+ PC uses the new AMD Ryzen AI 300 Series processors (either a Ryzen 7 350 or a Ryzen 7 340) to deliver up to 50 NPU TOPS, AMD Radeon 800M graphics, and the promise of up to 24.9 hours of battery life. The 14-inch display options include 3K OLED, FHD+ OLED, or FHD+ touchscreen. The OLED versions have 100% of the DCI-P3 color space, which is a great find on a laptop at this price.
Configurations include up to 32GB of RAM and up to a 1TB SSD. The unit has a sturdy, stylish aluminum design, and it feels well-balanced in hand. The Swift Go has an array of ports, with HDMI, 2 USB-A (speeds not specified), 2 USB 4 (Type-C) ports, and a headphone jack.
Available in May, pricing starts at $899.
Asus Zenbook A14
Asus is one of the laptop makers with a long track record of innovating with thin-and-light models. However, I was not prepared for the Asus Zenbook A14 UX3407. This model is genuinely a featherweight at 2.16 pounds, which meant it was easy to hoist overhead, even with my weaker arm. Obviously, I won’t be doing that regularly, but Zenbook A14 would be nothing to carry around all day at a trade show or while dashing through an airport.
The unique chassis uses Asus’ shock- and scratch-resistant Ceraluminum (the company’s trademark for its plasma ceramic aluminum process); by contrast, the Zenbook S14 series only uses Ceraluminum on its cover.
This model uses Qualcomm Snapdragon X series processors with up to 45 NPU TOPS, each with a long-lasting 70-watt-hour battery. It has a built-in Copilot key quickly accessing Copilot features, and it comes with 2 USB 4.0 ports at 40Gbps, a 10Gbps USB-A port, an HDMI port, and an audio jack, which gives this model all the makings of a laptop that unit for its can work well for a host of creator tasks.
The Zenbook A14 comes in two colors, beige and gray. The gray one uses the Snapdragon X with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, and it will cost $1,099. The beige one uses the Snapdragon X Plus with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, and it will cost $899. Both units will be available soon.
I’ll call out a second Asus model here for those who'd prefer an Intel processor. The 14-inch Asus Zenbook S14 weighs just 2.65 pounds, and it is impressive for its light weight, display quality, and ports. This Copilot+ PC has a comfortable keyboard and a bright 3K 120Hz OLED screen, and it uses Intel Core Ultra 9 (series 2) processors.
LG Gram Pro 16Z90TR
The 16-inch LG Gram Pro 16Z90TR exemplifies the trend of packing more into a thin and light space. LG is the only manufacturer offering 16 and 17-inch 2K displays in a lightweight form. Like Lenovo and others, the company has a slew of sub-three-pound laptops in 2025. Even though full specification details and pricing remain unannounced for all models, what we know makes this model stand out above all others from LG – especially for creatives who want a powerful, lightweight system.
This model has the largest display on this list, with a 16-inch 2K WQXGA (2,560 x 1,600) IPS display with VRR to 144Hz and an anti-glare coating. It’s also the only laptop with a dedicated graphics card (at minimum, it will come with an Nvidia GeForce RTX4050). It also has an Intel Core Ultra “Arrow Lake” processor (version to be announced). And it measures just 0.56-inch thick and weighs 2.99 pounds, squeaking in under our filter.
The unit I tried physically felt and responded beautifully, and it handled about the same as the LG Gram Pro I bought last year. It has a low-profile keyboard that's comfortable and sturdy to type on and a dedicated number pad – one of the benefits of getting a larger screen. Available later this year, this model’s pricing and full specifications will be announced closer to when it ships.
Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition
The 14-inch Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition marks Lenovo’s latest in its long line of top-tier Yoga laptops. This Copilot+ PC weighs 2.91 pounds, and it sports a sleek, all-black design with barely-there screen bezels and its familiar 360-degree hinge that lets the laptop twist into tent and tablet positions. Its screen specs are solid, with up to 2.8K WQHD+ OLED screens with 120Hz VRR refresh rate, 1,100 nits of peak brightness, and 100% DCI-P3 wide color gamut.
This iteration delivers 2 Thunderbolt 4 ports, in addition to a 10Gbps USB-A port and a USB 4 Type-C port with Power Delivery. That means you have plenty of ports for power and using peripherals like an external SSD and a memory card reader simultaneously.
As an Aura Edition laptop, this unit has nifty features that reflect Lenovo and Intel’s combined efforts to deliver compelling mobile experiences. For example, it has Smart Modes for faster customization (among them an attention mode that helps you maintain focus by blocking distracting websites) and Smart Share, which uses AI to tap and share images between your smartphone and laptop. You can buy this laptop in February, and pricing starts at $1,599.
Lenovo ThinkPad X9 Aura Edition
The Lenovo ThinkPad X9 Aura Edition maintains Lenovo’s high ThinkPad pedigree, but in a wholly new design that makes this the first ThinkPad in years I’d want to buy. This aluminum model has a cover made from 50% recycled aluminum, and a ridged rear cover plate that makes it easy to hold.
I loved this keyboard and found it to be next-level comfortable to type on, with a massive touchpad area and no TrackPoint in the center of the keyboard. The laptop has a thin, tapered profile with a unique internal design that houses the motherboard and ports in what Lenovo calls the Engine Hub, but looks like a black bump along the rear quarter of the laptop.
With a weight that starts at 2.66 pounds (add another 0.13 pounds for the touchscreen version here), this model ranks as one of the impressive thin and light laptops of CES 2025. It has processor options up to Intel Core Ultra 7 (Series 2), and display options of up to a 2.8K OLED touchscreen with 500 nits brightness,120Hz VRR, and 100% DCI-P3 wide color gamut, this system is up to the needs of creative pros.
The unit has one HDMI port, 2 Thunderbolt 4 ports, and no USB-A port. This model also has the Lenovo AI Now on-device AI assistant (based on Meta’s Llama 3.0), which helps with everyday tasks like document searches. It also supports Aura Edition features such as the Smart Modes and Smart Share described earlier. This model comes with a tiny 65W GaN Nano adapter that looks more like what you’d expect to use with a tablet than a laptop. You can buy this laptop in February, and pricing starts at $1,399.
What's next
The 2025 class of sub-3-pound laptops are clearly setting the stage for new experiences with sacrificing features. They now have plenty of performance power, including enough processing power and battery life to enable productivity and creative tasks and AI activities.
Plus, this category now covers all price points so no one gets left out of this next-gen mobile revolution. Carrying a lightweight laptop can make a huge difference to how your arm and back muscles feel, and with options like these it absolutely pays to think about weight when you're buying your next laptop.
